Nine Florida football players face potential third-degree felony charges amid an alleged fraud ring, per Alachua County Courts records released Monday afternoon.
9 suspended Florida players facing multiple felony charges each
The potential charges stem from alleged fraud.
Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images
The players who face a handful of charges each are starting wide receiver Antonio Callaway; starting running back Jordan Scarlett; receiver Rick Wells; linebackers James Houston and Ventrell Miller; and defensive linemen Jordan Smith, Keivonnis Davis, and Richerd Desir-Jones, while offensive lineman Kadeem Telfort faces a whopping 30 potential charges.
Smith, who reportedly was the ringleader of the group, faces five counts of fraud, including swindling property valued at under $20,000 and impersonation (using or possession of a person’s identification without consent), plus three additional impersonation charges.
The other seven players face only the first two counts each.
From ESPN’s March Schlabach:
State attorney Bill Cervone told ESPN on Monday that the Florida players were using stolen credit card numbers to add money to their university spending accounts, and in some cases the players used the stolen credit card numbers to make direct purchases. “Some of them did it one time, and then some of them have multiple offenses,” Cervone said.
The players were already suspended for all three of Florida’s games so far this season.
Head coach Jim McElwain was asked Monday about the felony charges. Here’s what he had to say, via SEC Country:
On breaking announcement of felony charges for some of the suspended players: “I’ve been over at the radio station. I’m sure I will be (informed) when I get back, I guess.”
Do felony charges change things for those guys? Nods, “Darn right.”
Is this Antonio Callaway’s last strike? “You’re asking me something I don’t even know anything about. I don’t know that that’s fair.”
The team’s 2016 leading receiver has missed time before.
Callaway accounted for 721 yards and three touchdowns, along with 218 yards returning last season. In May, Callaway was cited for marijuana possession, but he was not suspended, and McElwain stated he was dealing with the situation internally, without a public announcement of discipline.
He was suspended from the team, along with former quarterback Treon Harris, in January 2016 in the wake of a sexual assault claim made against the two. He did not practice with the team that spring, but returned to classes during the summer and participated fully in fall practice.
Scarlett ran for 889 yards and six touchdowns last year and was expected to be the starting running back this season.
We’ll update this story as more information comes available.
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